Bearing lubricator



April 13,- 1948. c, ASBURY 2,439,709

BEARING LUBRICA'IOR Filed Aug. 9, 1945 Patented Apr. 13, 1948 FFICE BEARI NG rlmsmoaron Charles '1. Asbury, Abington, Pa. I Application August 9, 1945,'Serlal No. 609,775

M ,This invention relates to lubricating means for ball or roller bearings supporting or guiding high speed rotary shafts which operate on vertical axes, and more particularly of that type of lubricator in which centrifugal force is depended upon to deliver the lubricant to the partsbeing lubricated. I

In bearings of this type of which I am familiar,

the centrifugal element delivering the oil merely actsto form an oil mist and depends upon this mist to provide sunicient lubrication for the bearing. An important object of the invention is the provisionin a bearing of this type of means insuring positive delivery of the lubricant directly to the bearing as differentiated from the rather haphazard delivery of prior structures.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in a bearing lubricator of this character, of an arrangement preventing creeping of the lubricant from the lubricant reservoir as a result of the rapid rotative movement of the centrifugal element.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an anti-creeping element for such reservoirs which is so. constructed that it is readily removed to permit cleansing of the reservoir when this becomes necessary.

, These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

I Fig. 1 is'a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a shaft supporting bearing lubricated by a means constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the supplemental wall element reservoir. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I'll generally designates a verti cally disposed shaft adapted to operate at high speeds, and II a planetary type anti-friction bearing disposed between this shaft and an associated stationary casing member [2, it being understood that by the term planetary type anti-friction bearing I include all bearings having inner and outer races between which is interposed a rotating anti-friction element such as a roller or ball. The inner race I3 of bearing II is secured'to shaft II) in any suitable manner,

6 Claims. (Q1. 308-187) I i 2. I

while the outer race I4 thereof -is fixed with relation tocasing l2. I I

Arranged immediately below the bearing II and likewise fixed against rotation with relation to shaft I llis a disc member I5 having upon its upper surface arib I'B'projecting upwardly between thespace between the inner and outer,

races I3 and I4. As at present shown, the inner race I3and disc memberIS are clamped between asleeve I'l rotating with shaft I0 and a nut I8 threaded upon the shaft, although obviously any other suitable. means of securing these elements in position may be employed as desired. Likewise arranged below the bearing and below member I5 is a liquid lubricant reservoir I9, stationary with relation to the casing member I2 and at present shown as held in position together with .the outer race member I 4 of the bearing II between an internal shoulder 20 on casing member I2 and a clamping ring 2| secured to said casing member. Reservoir I9 is in the form of an annular trough, the inner wall 22 of which is spaced fromthe opposed rotating surface, sleeve H, to eliminate any possible friction therebetween and having its upper end slightly spaced from the lower surface of the member I5 for the same purpose.

Member I5 has a depending inwardly sloping annular flange 23, the lower end of which extends into the lubricant L in reservoir I9 and member I5 has ports 24 permitting the passage of lubricant from the inner face of this flange to the inner face of rib I6. From the upper edge of the rib, lubricant will be delivered directly against the inner wall of the outer race of bearing II. Since the lubricant so delivered will have an upward component in its movement, it will be delivered directly to the anti-friction element A of the bearing I I in liquid rather than vapor form and will thus serve to properly lubricate the same. It has been found that in bearing lubricators of this type the rapid rotative movement of the flange 23 in the lubricant L causes the lubricant to rotate and as a resultnof its rotation to creep upwardly along the side walls of the reservoir. While'creepage can exercise. no deleterious: eifect at the outer wall of the reservoir, at the inner wall thereof, .dueto the. necessary clearances provided, creepage causes thellubricant to pass upwardly and over the upper edge of the inner 3 wall and then move downwardly with possible injury to portions of the mechanism lying therebeneath. As a specific example, in a belt driven homogenizer embodying a bearing of this type and in which the belt pulley is located beneath the bearing, this oil seepage was found to seriously interfere with proper operation.

To eliminate this, I provide the reservoir with a false inner wall 25 in the form of a sleeve, proper radial location of which, in respect to said inner wall, is provided by pressed out spacer tits 26. The space between this sleeve and the inner wall is open at its upper and lower ends, the upper end of the space being located well below the upperepdcofthe wall 2 2 and the lower end em re a spa e et the b t er; o the reservoir and preferably beneath the liquid level therein. In order that this sleeve may be readily held in position and at the same time be removable to permit cleansing of th reservoir when this becomes necessary, the sleeve is prg-u vided at its lower end with radially extending arms 21 having pressed out portions--28; engaging the bottom of the reservoir to thus maintain th e r.

sleeve in spaced relation to the bottom ofthe reservoir and having at-their extremities spring flanges '29- liavin'g la'tch hum" s "331 16 engage in a groove formed in the inner'su'rfa'ceof the-outer wall-bfthe reservoir} with'th use of'a false inner wall of this character the"oapillaryfattraotion-which assists the-creepage in causing the escape of 1ubricant pver the upper end 6f the inner wall 2-2 is broken} and-without "assistance of capillary attractionthe -'creepagej i insu'fiic ient to cause factual "overflow; li ubriclant 'n ov ing' over the upper-end-of the false in ner 'wall provided by sleeve 2 5p'ass'es downwardl'y 'through the space between' th 'sleve' and inner wall to rejoin the fluid in'the v V V 'Sin'ce't'he const embe mil as amulet s qwawarq r a je ndis f1 11 e onsa d.mem ea... .e lrint it ilub i aat i v r'l hf a m res an e to in er'iace v ir'havins" I e ecti ns P1 s'upne a lf nd) di ii ed hell eating innerface'of :sai w i 2- Mean r 1 9. Plan t r We? en ir c i' e D aling r h h' i eed haft mp smg a v 'eeii a' the hal mmedi e e ow the. bear n a. tat o ary an ular r se voir. r qui lubri t S ii ees he sha t lowv sa m mher a id an a le do war a e an arql vi xt nding ,flang fllor said master. e o e en 9f Whieh exam ne 391 F 4 posed below the upper end of the radially inner face of said sections.

3. Means for lubricating planetary type antifriction bearings for high speed shafts comprising a member secured to the shaft immediately below the bearing and having on its upper face a rib projecting into the space between the races of the bearing, a stationary annular reservoir for liquid lubricant surrounding the shaft below said member and an annular downwardly and inwardly extending flange on said member the lower end of which extends into the lubricant in said reservoir, said member having ports to deliver lubricant moving upwardly along said flange to the inner face-oftsaid rib, said reservoir havin inn r. wall f rmed in; wo d l y spaced sections the space between which is open va t its upper and lower ends and has its upper disposed below the upper end of the radially inn rface of said sections, the inner wall section .cqmpris inga removable sleeve and means to relas'abl'y 'sc'ure said sleeve in position in the v wal secti eansiieeans reservdir.

,Llldeans for lubricating planetary type antifrictionbearings for high speed shafts comprlsing a member secured to the shaft immediately below tlfi e bearing; a stationary annular reser-v yoir 'fOrl-iquid' lubricant; surrounding the shaft below slaidnjiernber andan annular downwardly and'inwardly extending flange on said-member the lpwerend of whichextends into thelubricant in said reservoir; saidreservoir having-an inner wall formed in two radially spaced-sect-i ons; the space between which is open at-its per and lower endsf-andhas'jts upper end disposed below the upper end of the radi'alljinner face of-said-sections theinner wall section coniprisinga removable sleeve and means; to releasably secure said sleevein position in the reservoir.- 5}." Means for lubricating planetary type-anti: friction bearings for high "speed shafts" "comprising a member secured to the shaft immediatelybelow the bearing and; having on its-uppen'face arib 'projecting into the spacebetween the races of the' bearing, "a stationary annular reservoiififor liquid-lubricantsurrounding the sha ft below said: member andan annular downwardly and ar y am ndin v fla ge. 9 a d m mbe t ewer pq'ei We h, egi rdsiniethe u ie ir e said reservoir, said-member having ports t'e dei bif ent' mo eghriva d y s an s s ii ns'e tbthe'in'ner face of sea r b, sa g'rese veir he? n; an firmer Wa l t me? wp radiall spaced eeti'ees he betw n hi h is o enun silewsr.ea sl edhas reet a nests? i2 .lpwitha 412.19?! 95 3 in redien and face ofsaid sections; the inner wall-section co nr i slee ehevins. 29 hel ll itii trimester-"analyse as. t t ester e mp y sleeve in position in o 291M12 l weroenaqisleeve i le relation to the bottom 'of' t. t i assure an veir incl n low the upper end or the radially inner face of said sections, the inner wall section comprising a sleeve having means to hold it in properly annularly spaced relation to the outer wall section Number and means to removably secure said sleeve in 5 2,043,335

v position in the reservoir including means to hold the lower end of sleeve in spaced relation to the bottom of the reservoir.

CHARLES T. ASBURY.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Schuck et a1 Aug. 1, 1933 Davidson June 9, 1936 Delaval-Crow Dec. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Sept. 24, 1924 

